In light of the financial hardship caused by the pandemic, the Ministry of Fisheries is considering a temporary uplifting of the ban on Beche-de-mer.

Minister Semi Koroilavesau says they have been consulting for the past two months but this is a complicated issue involving numerous stakeholders.

“We anticipate taking a bit of time because every stakeholder in Fiji has to be consulted before a decision is made after a cabinet paper is presented to the cabinet and after being vetted by Solicitor General and then Cabinet will make a decision on the proposal that will be made by the Ministry of Fisheries.”

The Minister says they are also mindful of measures that need to be imposed if the ban is lifted, to ensure the sustainability of Beche-de-mer.

 As you know not only in Fiji but in the Pacific and worldwide Beche-de-mer is a commodity that has experience boom and bust. It’s basically that when there is a lot of resources in the water, the tendency for it be harvested without any proper control will result in the bust of Beche-de-mer.

Overharvesting saw the implementation of a ban in 2017.